


The Fight (it wasn't really a fight)

by leoba



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artist Ben Solo, Awkward Ben Solo, F/M, Snow Shoveling, Snowball Fight, Street parking in Minneapolis sucks, Winter, fluff with just a touch of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-01 19:04:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16771036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leoba/pseuds/leoba
Summary: Rey lives next door to Ben. They like each other. What happens next?Written for the Writing Den Winter Fic Exchange





	1. The Snowball

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aNerdObsessed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aNerdObsessed/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parking woes and snowball fights

"You’re in my spot.”

Rey glances up from where she’s pulling her duffle bag and groceries out of the trunk of her car, parked in front of her neighbors’ house, to find one of the men who lives in said house staring down at her from the sidewalk. It’s the taller of the two. Dan, maybe? Or Ben? The unfriendly one. The other one, Poe, is shorter and older, she thinks, but he’s at least friendly, says hi when you pass him in the street. This one - Ben, she’s pretty sure that's his name - has never spoken to her, never even _looked_ at her, and now that he is he’s complaining that she took his parking spot.

His voice is surprisingly pleasant; deep and quieter than she expected it to be.

It’s been a long day; she’s so tired. Arguing about street parking really isn’t what she wants to be doing right now. She’d die for a latte, or maybe a beer. She slams the trunk shut with her elbow and walks around him. “It’s not your spot, we don’t have assigned parking spaces. I can park where I want.”

He follows her with long steps. “I like to park there, then.” His voice is too nice for the words he’s saying to her. Why isn’t he asking her to dinner or something like that? Why is she even _thinking_ something like that?

She doesn’t slow down as she heads up the path to her front door. “Next time get home before I do, and you can park there. Okay?” She reaches the front steps and turns around. He’s just standing there, where the path intersects with the sidewalk, his red scarf hanging down the front of his black wool coat, black knit hat covering his soft, dark hair… _not_ that Rey has noticed his hair. His hands are clad in leather gloves, and he’s holding them in loose fists, down by his sides. His face is expressive but oddly unreadable.

He opens his mouth, as though to respond, but instead he turns on his heel and heads to his own house.

Rey sets down the duffle bag so she can open the door. Such a strange, unpleasant guy, with such a lovely voice, and beautiful eyes and hair and large hands… she cuts those thoughts off and lets herself in so she can have dinner started before her roommates get home.

* * *

“You’re in my spot.”

She looks up at him from where she’s leaning into the trunk of her car. Her name is Rey, he knows that much from his roommate. He’s only ever seen her from far away; as she’s walking between her car and the front door of the house she shares with that couple, or sometimes in the morning or evening when she’s going out or coming back from a jog. He’s thought about trying to time his own jog to correspond with hers, but he’s afraid of coming across like a creep, so he’s avoided it.

Ben’s just not good with his people skills, and pretty women - especially pretty young women with chestnut hair and hazel eyes and freckles sprinkled across their noses - just make his tongue tie right up, apparently. So his attempt at small talk is, as he expected, falling flat, if the sour look she’s giving him right now is any indication.

She slams the trunk shut with her elbow and walks around him. “It’s not your spot, we don’t have assigned parking spaces. I can park where I want.” Her voice is sharp and lyrical. She doesn’t even glance at him; he can feel the moment slipping away. That isn’t what he meant at all.

He follows her for a few steps. “I like to park there, then.” He knows it’s the wrong thing to say, because she actually speeds up as she turns up the path leading to the door of her house.

“Next time get home before I do, and you can park there. Okay?” She turns around and looks at him, finally, fire in her eyes. She’s so beautiful. _Come to dinner with me_ , he wants to say. _Come over now, I’ll make you a latte and rub your feet. You look tired; let me take care of you. I think you’re alone, like me. Let’s be alone together_. But he doesn’t say any of these things because then she’ll _know_ he’s a creep. So instead he turns around and heads to his own house, to be alone by himself, at least until Poe comes home later tonight.

* * *

It snows overnight, the first snow of the season and the most snow Rey has seen in her life. She grew up in Arizona, and only transferred to Minnesota for her third year this summer. Although Phoenix gets occasional snowfall it never sticks around, and this will be her first winter in the upper midwestern US. She’s in for a shock, but first, she’s in for a treat.

Classes aren’t cancelled, because it’s Minneapolis and the city is prepared for the foot of snow that’s currently on the ground, but Rey, Rose, and Finn are up early in the morning and outside as soon as they can get there. Once they've finished digging the cars out and clearing the walk, Finn insists that the traditional way to welcome the first snow in Minnesota is with a snowball fight. So that’s what they do. First, they take a few minutes to build up little arsenals of snowballs, then each of them claims a different corner of the front yard. Rey is near the sidewalk, Rose is near the house, by the bushes and the snow bank that’s been blown up against the front of the house overnight, and Finn is by the pathway, with the neighboring house just behind him.

Their first volley is mostly misses and laughter, but they take breaks every few minutes to restock their arsenals and after a few sets Rey’s getting the hang of it, getting in hits on both of her friends and laughing hysterically even as her coat and gloves are slowly soaking through.

Their neighbor Poe comes out, computer bag over his shoulder and travel coffee mug in hand, but he takes one look at them, puts his stuff in his car, and comes back to play. “Just for a few minutes, guys - I can always say traffic was bad. I haven’t been in a snowball fight in _years_.” He claims the area next to Finn, closer to the sidewalk, and Rey moves back. It’s tight quarters, the front lawn is tiny and with four of them they’re almost on top of each other, but it’s still great fun.

It’s great fun, until Rey throws a snowball at Poe, and Poe ducks, and it hits his roommate Ben - tall, attractive, unfriendly Ben - square in his beautiful, stupid face. He picked a bad time to walk out to his car.

She falls to her knees and holds her hands over her mouth in horror.

* * *

Ben’s initial reaction, upon the hard sphere of snow coming into contact with his face, is surprise. It’s been years since he’s been hit with a snowball, let alone in the face, but that cold, sharp _smack_ is instantly familiar. It’s not physically pleasant, and is associated with some bad memories; bullies, mainly, other kids who weren’t really friends, who played unfairly or were just plain mean. So his second reaction is a kind of sad anger.

Until… until he considers the situation, takes note of who is where in the neighboring yard: Rose, in the far corner, snowball still in hand; Finn, nearest the neighboring front door, is laughing, but there's a snowball in his hand, too; Poe, just feet away, drops the snowball he was holding and walks towards Ben, a concerned look on his face; and Rey. Rey’s on her knees, near the middle of the yard, glove-clad hands over her mouth and horror in her eyes.

Rey threw the snowball, and she’s not laughing. It appears it was an accident. She feels _bad_ about it.

Ben is usually a big thinker. He thought about Rey all evening, and then again this morning. How badly that first interaction went, and how he might do better next time. But right now, he doesn’t want to think; he just wants to erase that expression from Rey’s face. He wants to make her smile. So right now, without thinking, he drops his bag to the ground, stalks past Finn and Poe, ignoring Poe’s gestures of concern, wraps one arm around Rey’s back and another under her knees, and lifts her up in the air, laughing as he does it.

She gazes up at him and takes her hands off her face, finally. “Are you going to kill me?” she asks in a small voice, and he can’t help but laugh again.

“No.”

Her relief is palpable. “Oh thank _god_ ! Ben, I’m _so sorry_!” He spins them around, three times, then walks over to the snow bank, turns his back to it, and drops himself down, still holding Rey tightly in his arms. The snow catches him and puffs up, covering them both in a fine layer of white. Rey’s laughing hysterically now, she’s warm and solid and feels really good laying on top of him. He could get used to this.

Meanwhile their friends are standing around, looking just a little confused. Poe leans over them and asks, “Man, are you okay? Did she hit you that hard?”

“No, I’m fine. You fine?” He glances down at Rey, and she’s looking up at him, face pink, eyes shining.

“I’m good, actually. Really good.” She reaches a finger out and touches his cheek, still numb. It’s nice, even though it’s just wet wool. “I’m sorry about the snowball. I was aiming at your roommate.”

He nods. “I totally understand, aiming snowballs at Poe.” She laughs at that, it wrinkles her nose and pinches her cheeks up. She’s so adorable. And she’s making no effort to get up; if anything, she’s getting more relaxed the longer they sit there.

In the snowbank.

The cold, wet snowbank. In his work clothes.

Ben clears his throat. “I need to get up. Go to work.”

“Okay,” Rey replies, and shifts to push herself off him, but he holds her back.

“I like this,” he whispers.

She smiles down at him, biting her lower lip. “You like getting hit in the face with snowballs? Lying in wet snowbanks?”

He grips onto her more tightly. “I like _this_. I like _you._ ” She looks surprised but not upset, not like she thinks he’s a creep. That’s good. “I was thinking, maybe this evening, you could come over and I can… make you a latte? Do you like lattes?”

Rey’s smile is dazzling. She has lovely teeth. “I _love_ lattes, and I would love to come to your place and let you make me one.” With that she stands up and holds out a hand so she can help him stand, too.

In the meantime Poe, deciding Ben was actually okay after all, had headed to work. Rose and Finn had continued the snowball fight, but stop when they see Ben and Rey getting up. “Had enough snow?” Rose calls over to them.

Finn laughs. “If so that’s too bad, there’s a lot more to come!”

Ben goes back for his bag, still lying where he dropped it on the path, and Rey follows him. “Lattes after work. It's a date?” she asks. He thinks her tone is hopeful.

He smiles down at her. “Definitely.”

She calls to him as he continues to walk down the street, towards his car, “I won’t take your spot tonight!”

He turns and walks slowly back to her, a smile on his face. “It wasn’t about the parking space.” Her cheeks grow even more pink, if that’s possible, as she catches his implication, and her eyes sparkle like the sun on the snow.

“See you later, then,” she whispers.

“See you later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear aNerdObsessed,
> 
> I loved your prompts, and I decided to focus on prompt two:
> 
> Rey is trying to hit Finn/Poe/Rose/Hux/Phasma with a snowball and hits Ben instead
> 
> I built in a backstory to find a bit of angst to build on. I hope you enjoy this little story!
> 
> Happy New Year,  
> ANONYMOUS
> 
> UPDATE: bunilicious made a moodboard! Thank you so much!!!!  
> 


	2. The Favor (it wasn't really a favor)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben does something nice for Rey... at least he thinks he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun I wrote another chapter for prompt 3:
> 
> Rey gets mad when Ben always shovels out her car/driveway because she's a strong independent woman.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this one too, aNerdObsessed!

Lattes the first evening led to dinner the second led to foot rubs the third, and by Saturday he's worked up the nerve to kiss her.

They've just come back from a hike in the snowy woods. Ben hadn't been out there in more years than he could count, didn't ever have a reason to go, but Rey had never had a hike in the snow, or the woods, and he wanted to be the first person to give her that gift.

So they hiked for a few hours, came back to his house, he made hot chocolate, and then somehow or another - the details are murky - Rey’s mouth is on his. It's sweeter and softer even than he'd expected. From her reaction, her moans and sighs, he has the distinct impression that she likes it too.

It's the best kiss Ben has ever had. It feels like coming home.

* * *

Sunday night it snows again, and Rey is out the door well before her first class to shovel out her car. She was up late, hanging out with Ben, but not _too_ late and it was totally worth the bit of tiredness she's dealing with now. She thinks about him as she laces up her snow boots and pulls on her coat. His crooked smile, soft hair, big hands, sweet mouth, awkward laugh… awkward everything, really, she's never met a man as adorably awkward as him. It makes her heart sing and stirs a warmth in her belly that she does her best to ignore. _Time, be patient, you have time._ Her first impression of him was so wrong and she's not afraid to admit it.

Rey doesn't have time to daydream right now. She has work to do.

She grabs the snow shovel, steps out the front door, takes the three steps down to the path, and gasps. 

Rey knew the walk would be shoveled, because Finn and Rose left early today so they'd have taken care of that. But she's not expecting for her car to be dug out - not only dug out, but completely devoid of snow - and for an expensive-looking metal insulated cup to be resting on the roof of the car, along with… a card?

The card is handmade, just a piece of white paper folded over twice, but the front features a colored pencil drawing of a red cardinal dancing on a branch of holly, and the inside has a note written in a remarkably lovely, loopy script: _A treat for my sweet, hope you have a great Monday. B._

Rey is completely gobsmacked. _B_. Did Ben do this? Who else could it have been? She takes a sip of the contents of the cup as she contemplates the situation. The drink is a mint mocha latte, delicious and piping hot, even though it's well below freezing and it must have been sitting out on her car for some time.

Rey is confused by her own reaction. She's pleased; this is probably the sweetest thing anyone has done for her, ever. And she's flattered because he's so wonderful and kind, and he's older than her and has a career and stuff. He's a real grown-up, and although Rey’s not a child she doesn't really feel like an adult, not quite. But she's also deeply, profoundly angry.

She'd dug her car out the previous week without trouble, and she was looking forward to doing it again today. Not because it's fun, but because it's what you do when you live in Minnesota, and she's capable. She can do it. She doesn't need Ben to do it for her, or anyone else, especially without asking. It's just so presumptive. And she's so much more than annoyed.

She pulls out her phone and sends Ben a text

* * *

Ben’s attention is wrapped up in a particularly complex spreadsheet when his phone finally chimes. It's a text from Rey, and he tries and fails to hold back a grin. Since she made it clear over the weekend that she definitely does not think he's a creep (going so far as to lace her fingers through the hair on both sides of his head, hold him steady, press her forehead against his and loudly proclaim, “BEN SOLO, I DO NOT THINK YOU ARE ANYTHING REMOTELY APPROACHING A CREEP”)... since then he has decided to let his flag fly. He adores Rey and he wants to take care of her, and what better way than to shovel her car out before work?

The coffee and card were almost afterthoughts.

He reads the text and is confused and a little disappointed:

hey

He wonders briefly is something went wrong. Maybe the cup fell over?

Hey!

He waits three minutes for her to respond. It's the most excruciating three minutes of his life. Maybe the exclamation point was too much?

thank u for the card

You're welcome.

didn't know you could draw

Don't have much reason to.

She's prevaricating, obviously, and he's afraid he knows why. He did too much, went too far, and despite what she said yesterday, despite all the time they've spent together over the past five days, _oh god only five days_ , she's decided he’s a creep after all and she wants to end things.

It’s been thirty seconds and Ben's beginning to freak out properly when someone whacks him on the shoulder with a file folder.

“Hey!” Ben scowls up, covering his phone, to find his coworker, Gwen Phasma, leering over his shoulder. She nods towards his hands.

“Ben. On the phone?” She bends lower. Phasma’s over six feet tall even when she’s not wearing heels, so there’s a lot there to lean.

“No,” he grumbles.

She raises one perfect eyebrow and leans back, resting her behind against the corner of the desk. She crosses her arms and doesn’t say a word. Ben’s worked with Phasma for years and she is the one person in the world he’s completely comfortable with; he has no idea why, because she’s legitimately terrifying. But she seems to find something in him that she, if not likes, at least appreciates. Or finds amusing, maybe. She perches on the corner of his desk and Ben finds himself unable to look away.

The phone in his hand chimes and vibrates. He flinches. “Go ahead, check your message,” Phasma chuckles, waving the folder at him.

guess not

Phasma must be able to read him like a street sign, because the next thing he knows she’s crouching at his feet and gazing up at him. “What,” she enunciates, “did you do.”

He spills. He tells her about finally approaching Rey last week, about the time they’ve been spending together, about the realization on Sunday, and about digging out her car, and leaving the gifts, earlier that morning.

Phasma is _delighted_. Ben has no idea why, but it’s better than any other alternative, so he’ll take it.

“Oh, dear,” she sighs. “You’re such a sweet man, aren’t you. This isn’t anything that can’t be fixed, but you need to talk to her, yes? Especially as it seems like she isn’t opening up just at the moment. Is she?”

Ben shakes his head to confirm her assumption.

“Okay,” she says authoritatively, still crouching on the ground. Isn’t that uncomfortable? She doesn’t seem to care; her muscles must be made of steel. “Early on in my relationship, my partner did something very sweet for me. I lived in an apartment that had a leaky toilet. So, I decided to fix it. I did a bit of research on what the problem might be, I got the materials I’d need. And then, before I had a chance to try to fix it myself, what do you think he did?” 

“He fixed it for you.”

Phasma smiles, and gives Ben the kind of look she might give a preschool-aged child while explaining what rule they just broke. “And how do you think I felt about that?”

 _Oh_. “You were probably not very happy.”

“Why wasn’t I happy, Ben?”

He swallows. “Because you wanted to do it yourself.”

Gwen stands quickly - _how can she do that so effortlessly even though she’s been crouching for three minutes?_ \- and, instead of smacking him with the folder again, she lays her hand on his shoulder. “Good luck. Get it together, then get back to the spreadsheet; Canady wants it before the end of the day.”

Ben turns back to his phone. While he’s been talking to Phasma, he’s received two more messages from Rey.

* * *

She should just tell him what’s bothering her.

Rey knows that’s what people in adult relationships do; she’s read enough articles in the check-out line a the grocery to know that communication is key. But it’s one thing to say it, and another thing to actually _do_ it.

She doesn’t want to hurt his feelings, is the thing. Ben is _so sweet_. He’s probably better than she deserves. And she doesn’t _hate_ that he dug out her car; she just wishes he’d talked to her first. 

Her car’s probably warmed up by now but she doesn’t want to drive until she’s got this worked out. She looks down at her phone again. Her last message shows sent three minutes ago, and she’s really starting to get worried. The anxious tone she sees in her last message isn’t helping at all.

hey

Hey!

thank u for the card

You're welcome.

didn't know you could draw

Don't have much reason to.

guess not

and for the latte, it was good

hey are you there?

Her thumbnail is in her mouth and she’s really starting to chew when a new text shows up, followed quickly by another.

I’m afraid I offended you by digging out your car, if that’s the case I am sorry. I really like you and I wanted to make your day easier

I know you could dig out your own car… but you don’t have to

Rey sobs with relief, she can even feel tears forming in the corners of her eyes. No one has ever been so in tune with her, and she feels immensely lucky that she’s met him. She bites her lip and crafts a response.

i really like you toooooooooo

ty for doing it but yeah… my first winter i was kinda looking forward

i gotta go to class 🤢 but see you later? Xoxoxo

Ben responds immediately.

YES. Good. Can’t wait. Have a good day ❤️

❤️😍❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Smiling as she hits _send_ for the last time, she tucks the phone into her pocket and takes off for class, praying she’ll find a parking space before she’s late to class.


End file.
